close
close

Ocala shooting trial: Defense rests

Subscribe to The Point, delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday at 8am.

Susan Lorincz, left, listens to testimony during her trial Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Judge Robert Hodges' courtroom in Ocala, Fla., as her defense attorney Amanda Sizemore also listens. (Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner via AP)

Doug Engle/AP

/

Ocala Star Banner

Susan Lorincz, left, listens to testimony during her trial Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Judge Robert Hodges' courtroom in Ocala, Fla., as her defense attorney Amanda Sizemore also listens. (Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner via AP)

• Associated Press: No testimony from white Florida woman charged with manslaughter in fatal shooting of her black neighbor. “Susan Lorincz told Marion County District Judge Robert W. Hodges that she decided not to testify after consulting with her attorneys, adding that she was not forced to make that decision.”

• The Alligator: DeSantis administration calls for investigation into “exorbitant spending” by former UF President Ben Sasse. “The Alligator first reported Monday that Sasse, a former Republican senator from Nebraska, has more than tripled spending under the president's office compared to his predecessor. Much of the increase in spending was due to lucrative consulting contracts and high-paying, remote positions for Sasse's Republican allies.”

• Storms in Florida: Heading in a new direction: The National Hurricane Center presents a new forecast cone. “The new cone includes inland observations and warnings to indicate the risk of destructive wind gusts from tropical systems making landfall.”

• WCJB: The settlement agreement with NARS affects not only real estate agents, but also home buyers and sellers. “The real estate industry is changing some of its practices and many people, including home buyers and sellers, may not be aware of what is coming.”

• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville approves $3 million downtown ambassador program, fire station sale. “(GCRA director Rick Smith) said there will be a mix of security measures in downtown areas (to attract attention, report suspicious activity, escort people to their vehicles), talking to homeless people and removing trash and weeds.”

• Storms in Florida: The rare August cold front makes for a less humid, sunnier weekend. “A rare cold front is moving through Florida and we can expect humidity to drop a bit across much of the state. Remember, we're still in summer, so temperatures will be hot.”

Grab-and-go lunches are prepared at a Summer BreakSpot location in July. The food banks, supported by the Florida Department of Agriculture, expanded their service in rural communities this summer after receiving additional funding from No Kid Hungry, a spokesperson said.

Grab-and-go lunches are prepared at a Summer BreakSpot location in July. The meal sites, supported by the Florida Department of Agriculture, expanded their service in rural communities this summer after receiving additional funding from No Kid Hungry, according to a spokesperson. (Photo courtesy of Anais Rice, No Kid Hungry Florida)

• WUSF-Tampa: Florida again waives summer food assistance for children. “The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT), also known as Sun Bucks, is designed to help parents pay their grocery bills during the summer when school-provided free and reduced-price meals are less available.”

• WLRN-Miami: Doctors in Florida want more children to be vaccinated against infectious diseases. “As the new school year begins, health care providers in South Florida are raising awareness about vaccinations to prevent clusters of under-vaccinated children from leading to outbreaks of infectious diseases.”

• WUWF-Pensacola: Loan repayment gives students a second chance, but skeptics fear it's the easy way out. “High schools in Northwest Florida and across the state have a credit recovery option for students who do not pass a course on the first attempt…and if they pass, it's as good as if they had passed the original, year-long course.”

• WLRN-Miami: Home purchases stall due to mortgage rates and concerns about condo reform. “In June, a record number of home purchase contracts were canceled nationwide, with 15 percent of contracts ending before they could be completed. However, in some areas of Florida, including Miami-Dade County, the cancellation rate is higher.”

• WFSU-Tallahassee: A former OCSO deputy will not face criminal charges for alleged street racing. “The former Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) deputy was fired in July following his arrest in Fort Walton for allegedly racing his personal motorcycle and tampering with evidence.”

• WUSF-Tampa: Here comes the sun. Tampa's first professional women's team is causing quite a stir. “The rowdies had planned to introduce an alternative for women in the area years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to that momentum.”

• Politics: Water agreement between Mexico and the USA faces its biggest test in 80 years

• World: A grim milestone: More than 40,000 people killed in Gaza

• Politics: Harris unveils economic plan focused on housing and food prices

• Business: TikTok fights for survival in latest lawsuit as a ban approaches

• Law: 4 former police officers charged with $37 million in extortion

• Culture: 2 doctors charged in connection with the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry by ketamine

• Science: To save wild crocodiles in Australia, scientists have given them food poisoning

• World: Researchers say they have found the surprising source of a key piece of Stonehenge

Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.